William Rockefeller
| William Rockefeller | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. May 31, 1841 Richford, New York, |
| Died | June 24, 1922 (aged 81) Tarrytown, New York |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Resting place | Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, New York |
| Occupation | Financier, businessman |
| Known for | Co-founder of Standard Oil |
| Spouse(s) | Almira Geraldine Goodsell (m. 1864—1920; her death) |
| Children | Lewis Edward Rockefeller Emma Rockefeller William Goodsell Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller II Percy Avery Rockefeller Ethel Geraldine Rockefeller |
| Parent(s) |
William Rockefeller Sr. Eliza Davison |
| Relatives | See Rockefeller family |
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. (May 31, 1841 – June 24, 1922) was an American businessman and financier. He was a co-founder of Standard Oil along with his older brother John Davison Rockefeller (1839–1937). He was also a prominent member of the Rockefeller family.
William Jr. was born in Richford, New York. He was the middle son of con artist William Avery Rockefeller Sr. (1810—1906) and Eliza Davison (1813—1889). In addition to elder brother John, William Jr.'s siblings were Lucy (1838—1878), Mary (1843—1925), and twins Franklin (Frank) (1845—1917) and Frances (1845—1847). He also had two elder half-sisters, Clorinda (c. 1838—?, died young) and Cornelia (c. 1840—?), through his father's affairs with mistress and housekeeper Nancy Brown. In 1853 his family moved to Strongsville, Ohio. As a young pupil in public school, he was inspired and motivated by his teacher-mentor, Rufus Osgood Mason, whom Rockefeller later named "A Rockefeller Patron."
When the newly formed Mutual Alliance Trust Company opened for business in New York on the Tuesday after June 29, 1902, there were 13 directors, including Emanuel Lehman, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller.
In 1865, he entered the oil business by starting a refinery in Ohio. In 1867, his older brother John's partnership of Rockefeller & Andrews absorbed this refinery. In 1870, that company became Standard Oil.
Rockefeller was very adept in business matters. He served as the company's New York representative until 1911 when Standard Oil of New Jersey was split up by the United States Supreme Court. He also had interests in copper mining and processing, railways (which had expanded extensively in the late 19th and early 20th centuries), and public utilities, and built up the National City Bank of New York, now part of Citigroup.
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